Remember this headline: 'Vote is blocked by Republicans'

[deacon]

No debate. No accountability still rears it's head in regard to GOP senators and GOP leadership in congress as a whole. They have aligned themselves with a president with a 30% approval rating. They have aligned themselves to be AGAINST 70% of the nation who are against U.S. troop escalation in Iraq.

They are blocking a debate on soldier lives. This is supporting the troops or supporting a president over the interest of the troops?

[ikojo]

1. And they are doing this as a MINORITY

within the Senate....something the Dems didn't even TRY to do when they were a minority party.

ENOUGH with the go along to get along....

People are DYING...what part of that do you not understand Harry Reid?

SHUT OUT THE REPUBLICANS JUST AS THEY SHUT OUT THE DEMS

NOW is not the time to play nicey nicey...or isn't it clear?

NICEY NICE is perceived as WEAK by the Republicans and they will go for broke EVERY TIME.

[magellan]

2. The real problem is that too few Dems have aligned themselves with 70% of the nation

Each side has played its expected role in this.

[formercia]

3. Now we will find out

Who the Patriots and Traitors are and who should be looking for a job selling shoes.

[deacon]

4. Sounds like Hagel is the one of them who should be selling shoes n/t

[formercia]

14. Pulling a Specter

Big talk, then give Junior what he wants.

[mmonk]

5. When they block a real measure, then it will be a story.

Otherwise, useless IMO. The dems will use it politically to tie the repukes to the war (great strategy they say). But the weakness of our party will not be lost on the politically savvy since it's all a political stunt anyway. We need more people like Feingold who want to deal with real measures and in a real and tough way.

[deacon]

6. The dems need to come back with a binding resolution imo

and ole Chuck 'the shoe salesman' Hagel should just butt out.

[mmonk]

12. Me too. It and only it would peel back the veil

on really who wants to end this war.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. You need to amend that to ..

"Vote is blocked by partisan, obstructionist, anti-troop Republican's"

[KharmaTrain]

8. Let's Force A Vote Every Week...

McConnell want to block the will of the majority of the American people? Let him explain it 40 or so times. If the Repugnicans want to put party and death ahead of what's right, that's fine...let them explain their votes every time it happens...especially those in crucial Senate races.

OK...we played nice...tried to throw the GOOPers a bone with a "non-binding" resolution. Now we see how far their rhetoric of "working across the aisle" is (I'm looking at you, Warner) is pure bullshit, it's time to turn Senator Feingold loose with his long overdue resolutions. Up or down votes. Wanna "support the war" then put your vote on the record...and let's nuance it. Care to support an invasion of Iran? Let's get that out there for the voters to know. This is how the accountability process works.

And to those Democrats who still can't get the message that this war needs to end NOW and that the conflicts of your '02 vote and ego keep you from developing a spine...we're watching you as well.

I like the idea of putting restrictions on the use of the National Guard as an immediate damper on booshie's plans for bigger wars. But then if the Repugicans (and select Democrats) want to continue this tragic misadventure, they do so at their political peril.

[deacon]

9. I'm all for that- sooner or later they really have to come with a

yes or no. I see this as one of the all-time biggest PR blunders in GOP history. They just can't leave this as it is, they HAVE to do something...ill conceived panic move is all I can come up with...

A lose/lose all the way.

[KharmaTrain]

11. Schummer Said "They Just Drove Off A Cliff"

Damn straight. I'm with you on this. This "power play" is one of the few tricks McConnell can play and his played his hand way to early. Now Reid knows how he'll react in such situation and start playing him like he did Frist. It was a true attempt at being bipartisan and, instead of showing some contrition (like Boenner has done in the House), McConnell is trying to show he's "tough" and he's putting his fractured party in a real difficult situation. He held party unity this time, but as polls start showing how unpopular that unity is, let's see how long he can hold ranks.

As you saw with the reaction here, people are pissed at this non-vote. They see this as another power play by a party that doesn't represent what they feel or believe. While McConnell and Lott can smirk now that Reid doesn't have the 60 votes, that's only temporary. I'm counting 6 votes on their side that will flip and others who will join in for their own political expediency. He's just holding back a dam within his own party as well as within in Senate.

I had heard that McConnell tried to compromise allowing carte blanche on judge nominations in return for letting some of these non-binding resolutions through. He can't be serious. The dude can only play this bluff with no cards in his hand for so long.

The interesting thing here is I see even more Repugnican blunders ahead. Thus why hold back? Now that we know the "tone" McConnell wants to set, let's ram it up his pompus ass.

Cheers...

:hi:

[Liberal In Texas]

10. Time to remind them about "Up or down vote!"

That's all they threw in our faces the last 6 years.

[deacon]

13. Or should Dems do away with the filibuster like they wanted to? n/t